


Roswell, NM

by artificialstella



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Pining, aliens probably, lesbians on a road trip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 15:47:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11603766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artificialstella/pseuds/artificialstella
Summary: Two friends on a road trip take a stop at the most infamous UFO hotspots in America. Shea wants to be happy, but there’s something weighing heavy on her mind.





	Roswell, NM

It seemed like Shea had been staring out at the same distant mountains for the past two hours of driving. The desert slid by, warm and dry, as their van barreled down the highway. But in the distance, the mountains looked unmoving. It was the same, flat-topped rocks jutting out of the horizon. The land was so even that Shea couldn’t tell how far away they were. They just loomed in the distant, dark against the bright blue sky. That was what Shea loved about driving. America had so many different landscapes, from the grey-water beaches of New England, to the endless corn fields of Middle America, and now her personal favorite. The bright colors and hot, dry air were so different from the dull city.

“Shea?”

Her head lifted from the window, and she turned to face the driver’s side. Sasha was glancing at her through her giant sunglasses. She had been driving for hours now, after switching between the two of them at the gas station. There was a small smile on her lips, one she reserved only Shea. At least Shea liked to think so.

“I’m awake, I promise,” Shea replied. Sasha’s smile only grew, and she put her hand on top of Shea’s in the middle console.

“You didn’t look it. I just wanted to tell you we’re almost there. I didn’t want to disturb you though, you looked so peaceful.”

Her voice was teasing but genuine as she spoke, and it made guilt twinge in Shea’s gut for being so distant during the final leg of their journey. Sasha’s phone was plugged into the AUX cord and playing music softly in the background, but that still didn’t make up for Shea’s silence.

“I wasn’t sleeping boo, I was just admiring New Mexico’s beautiful landscape.”

Sasha hummed, and Shea could see the road in front of them reflected in the lenses of Sasha’s giant sunglasses. The image was warped and the colors were more muted, and Shea was tempted to break out her camera and take an artsy shot.

“We’ll get there in about fifteen minutes, did you want to go downtown first or do you want to go to the campground?”

“Let’s go downtown first, I kinda wanna grab lunch. It feels like forever since we stopped at Denny’s.” Shea rubbed a hand over her stomach, soothing the slight twinge of hunger pains. Sometimes they packed lunch for the longer legs of their journey, but since they were staying in Roswell overnight they didn’t prepare anything.

“We’ll get some food in your darling, don’t worry,” Sasha laughed. “I don’t need you being grumpy all day.”

She paused, before adding: “Do you want to stop at that cool McDonald’s they have? The one shaped like a UFO?”

Roswell was of course known for it’s alien obsession. After the UFO craze in the 1950’s and the Area 51 hype, the town turned into a hotspot of extraterrestrial chasers. Now most of the business in Roswell revolved around UFOs or little green men. McDonald’s was no exception. The building was crafted to look exactly like a flying saucer, bright neon lights and all.

The photo-op might just be worth the questionable food.

“Maybe we could go in and get some fries, and eat more later,” Shea suggested, trying not to let her disgust show. “I know there’s not many vegetarian options there anyway.”

Sasha nodded, her own nose wrinkled at the idea of filling up on greasy burgers, and handed her phone to Shea.

“Put the address in for me babe.”

Shea pulled up the location and put it into the maps app. Thankfully they were close, and within a few minutes they were pulling into the parking lot. Sasha parked the car, and as soon as the engine shut off Shea sprung out of the car. Her legs were stiff from sitting for so long, so she stretched out with a satisfying groan. After shaking her legs loose a bit, she caught up to Sasha in front of the car.

“Hold on, go stand in front of the building. I want to get a picture,” Sasha instructed. She turned right back around and rifled through her bag in the front seat, eventually pulling out her polaroid camera. Sasha had bought it specifically for the trip, and exclusively took pictures of Shea throughout their journey. Sasha claimed she was going to make a scrapbook of the pictures, so she could bring Shea with her when she left. Shea of course went along with it, but whenever Sasha broke her camera out it was always a stark reminder of why exactly they were on this trip, and it made her heart sink every time.

Shea swallowed the bitterness rising in her throat and posed in front of the oddly shaped building. Sasha assumed her dorky photographer stance, and once she lined up the shot to her liking she snapped the picture. As she walked over to Shea, the camera slowly spit out the film, still grey as it developed.

“Alright, let’s go inside.”

They ordered their fries and got back in the car, this time with Shea at the wheel. When they sat down, Sasha was staring down at the picture and grinning.

“This one is my new favorite,” she declared. “It’s so delightfully strange.”

She handed the polaroid to Shea. It was a well composed shot, as Sasha had an eye for that kind of thing. Plus, Shea was no stranger to modeling for the camera, and her modern style contrasted well against the eclectic restaurant. Shea chuckled and handed the picture back to Sasha, who tucked it safely in a folder in her bag with the others.

Shea started the car and continued on towards downtown. Roswell wasn’t impressive from the outside. It looked like a typical Southwestern town with squat, tan buildings and roads perpetually dusted with sand. But the closer they got to the center of town, the more of a tourist trap it became. There were novelty shops that lined the streets, little green men in every single window. Families wandered the sidewalks, most with antenna headbands swaying on their heads and t-shirts that read ‘I Was Abducted At Roswell And All I Got Was This T-shirt’.

Shea spotted a parking spot and quickly pulled in. Every stop they wanted to hit was within walking distance, thankfully. They both hopped out of the van and Sasha pulled out her phone again.

“The black light museum is the next block over, and the museum is a little further. Do you wanna do it in that order?”

“Sounds good,” Shea agreed. They started walking, their pace easily syncing up.

Shea wanted to be more excited to be in Roswell. When they were mapping out their journey at the beginning of the year and the town had come up, both were eager to explore. Shea didn’t believe in aliens herself, but she found it amusing that after all of these years, people were more inclined to believe in visitors from outer space than ignorant civilians from the 1950’s mistaking a military plane for aliens. Sasha seemed more open to the idea, and even joked that Shea was the Scully to her Mulder. Either way, it was a town they had both wanted to explore.

Now, not so much. All Shea could think about was how little time they had left together. Two more days until they reached Las Vegas, and then three days until they flew from there back to New York. When they landed they would part ways, Shea back to Manhattan and Sasha to Brooklyn. Sasha was already packed up, so the next morning she would be back at the airport and flying to Amsterdam, where she’d be obtaining her Masters for the next three years. The closer they got to parting, the harder it was for Shea to stay positive. She was losing her best friend, and no amount of polaroids or facetimes could replace her.

“I think this is it!”

Sasha’s excited voice snapped Shea out of her funk, and she looked up at the building. A big poster advertising the black light museum took up a majority of the front window. It was definitely the right place, but judging by the size of the building, it wasn’t going to be an extensive display.

Sasha pushed inside, and the pair discovered an old man sitting in a chair by the entrance. He greeted them with a smile, missing a few key teeth.

“It’s three bucks a ticket, ladies,” he said as they stepped closer. Shea pulled out a ten from her purse, and after grabbing the change he gestured towards the entrance.

“Don’t get lost,” he teased. “The aliens’ll get ya.”

Together they stepped into the hallway, and the walls lit up with colorful paint. There were scenes of futuristic alien societies, distant planets, and vibrant star systems. The music playing through hidden speakers sounded like a mix of the Stranger Things soundtrack and a theremin.

“This is so cool,” Sasha enthused, linking her arm with Shea’s. Her hand felt comforting on Shea’s bicep.

“It’s alright I guess. I did one of these when I was like, twelve, so the effect has kind of worn off.”

Sasha chuckled and flexed her fingers against Shea’s arm.

“You seem so above it all today, are you still grumpy from your nap?” Sasha’s eyes seemed to sparkle mischievously in the blacklight.

“You got me girl,” Shea laughed. Sasha cooed and cuddled into Shea’s side as they continued to walk.

“We can get you a coffee before we go to the museum,” she promised.

“Oh, that does sound good,” Shea agreed.

They continued on through the museum, but it wasn’t that long of an experience. They couldn’t have been in there for more than five minutes before they had reached the end, spilling of course into a gift shop. There was a teenager behind the counter, typing away at their phone.

Shea tugged Sasha over to the wall of t-shirts. They got novelty items at every city they stopped at, but Roswell by far had the coolest trinkets. She picked out one of the shirts, then turned to Sasha.

“You should get one of the antennas,” she suggested. Sasha laughed, loud and throaty, causing the cashier to finally look up from their phone.

“Yeah? Do you think I’d finally make my transformation into a creature not of this earth?” Sasha replied. Shea hummed, so Sasha released her arm to go hunt down the headband. She returned with two green balls gently swaying on thin springs above her head.

“Take me to your leader, earthling.” Sasha’s voice sounded more like Kermit the frog than an alien, making Shea double over with laughter.

“Like you ever want to be in the same room as President Drumpf,” Shea shot back. Sasha’s face immediately curtled with disgust.

“You’re so right,” Shea sighed.

“Aren’t I always?”

After they paid for their trinkets, Sasha kept her word to stop for coffee. They managed to fine a little cafe a few stores down, and the smell of fresh food immediately hit Shea as they opened the door. Her stomach growled softly, reminding her that their snack of fries definitely did not do the trick.

“Look at all of the options,” Sasha mused, her eyes wide as she read the menu. The store looked like it could’ve been ripped out of Brooklyn and dropped into Roswell. Knowing the town, probably by means of UFO. The cafe was minimalist, with an overpriced “organic” menu and coffee drinks with weird puns. It was no restaurant, but the panini’s looked fresh and the scent of roasted espresso beans had her craving a latte.

Shea ended up getting a hefty chicken and pesto panini, a large latte, and another sandwich for later. Sasha got one of the salads and a green tea, as well as a sandwich of her own for later. Now they didn’t have to make anymore stops for food, and could probably go straight to the campground after the museum.

“Wanna sit at the table by the window?” Sasha suggested.

“Lead the way, I’m not picky.”

They sank into worn arm chairs and immediately tore into their lunches. Shea’s sandwich was hot, and the pesto was rich on her tongue. She almost groaned with happiness at getting genuinely good food for the first time in a long time. When on a budget as tight as theirs for the summer, it was rare that anything tasted fresh. Sasha looked content with her salad as well, the leaves dark and glistening with dressing. She stabbed her fork through a crouton and popped it into her mouth, chewing happily.

As Shea ate, her attention flickered from staring out the window to admiring Sasha. The other woman was world’s away, her eyes unfocused as she watched cars go by outside. Sitting together like this, completely at ease, made Shea’s imagination overflow with useless daydreams. Would this be what it was like to be on a date with Sasha? Happy, peaceful, content?

If they were on a date, Shea would’ve nudged her foot under the table, initiating a flirty little game of footsie. Maybe she’d steal Sasha’s fork and feed her a piece of lettuce, or sneak a sip of her tea. She wondered if Sasha would do that snorting laugh Shea loved, or if she would blush and hide behind her curly hair. There were so many things Shea longed for, but she’d never let herself actually indulge in. Especially not now that Sasha was leaving.

“Check out the cutie walking by,” Sasha mumbled slyly, her eyes moving away from the window. Shea snuck a peek to see a young guy with a nicely trimmed beard sauntering by. He was totally Shea’s type, just the right mix of hipster and douche. Sasha was used to scoping out hot guys for Shea. Sasha couldn’t possibly know that Shea’s tastes had wildly evolved in the past month.

“Just what I need, a hot guy in a town I’m leaving in less than twenty-four hours,” Shea joked.

“No harm in looking,” Sasha countered. As she went back to her salad, Shea stole one final glance at her best friend. No, there was no harm in looking. Shea had so little time remaining getting to soak in Sasha’s presence anyway. Why not stare until she committed every facet of her features to memory.

After a long lunch, the pair continued on exploring downtown Roswell. The museum was really the only other major attraction aside from more novelty stores. Museum was a bit of a stretch, really. It was more like an archive of old newspapers, as well as published theories about the 1947 UFO event. Clearly it was a museum put together by love and not a budget. Other than the occasional drawing, it was mostly text upon text of firsthand accounts and interviews. They spent hours pouring over the different exhibits, joking around about their own theories and speculations. Shea was able to forget her troubles, just for a while, and enjoy an afternoon with her best friend. It felt like they were in college again, sitting in the library and joking about their essay topics. It seemed like even as adults, there were some things they wouldn’t grow out of.

There was only so much time they could spend in the small museum, and after checking the time, they both decided they should head to the campground. Roswell had given them everything they had wanted to see, leaving Shea feeling satisfied as they exited the museum.

The sun was starting to set, casting the town in a soft, warm light. Their campground was just outside of the town in a state park, and Sasha insisted on driving.

“There’s somewhere I wanna stop first,” she said. Shea didn’t care, she’d follow Sasha anywhere.

They pulled out of the parking spot, and left downtown Roswell in their rearview mirror. It wasn’t long of a drive, and soon enough they were pulling into Bottomless Lakes State Park. There was a sign pointing towards the campground, but Sasha ignored it. She kept driving until she eventually turned off of the paved road and onto a dirt one. Slowly the ground inclined, and Shea could see the expanse of the park beneath them. Finally Sasha pulled off of the path onto a long expanse of flat earth, overlooking one of the larger lakes in the park. The water looked purplish in the fading light, and endless. Surrounding it was clay-coloured dirt, and with the colorful sunset painting the sky, it was absolutely breathtaking. Sasha put the car in park and grinned.

“The roof?”

“The roof.”

Their van was old school, with enough room in the back for a mattress (which they slept on most of the trip), and a ladder on the back door leading up to the roof. Sometimes they liked to sit on top of the car and stargaze, especially when they were so outside of civilization, where the sky was brimming with light. Shea reached back behind her and grabbed the large pillow with the arms for them to lean on, as well as a couple of smaller blankets. She got out of the car and watched Sasha climb up, then handed her the supplies so she could ascend the ladder as well. Once she was over the edge, she could see Sasha was already in place. She held her arm out to Shea, so Shea settled against her best friend with her back to Sasha’s chest. Sasha’s chin rested gently on the top of Shea’s head, and her arm wrapped around her waist.

It truly was a beautiful moment. The park was silent, and the lake was still as the sun slowly sank beneath the far mountains. Stars were just beginning to emerge, reflecting against the water. The air was finally starting to chill after a blazing day, just comfortable enough that the thin blanket strewn over Shea’s legs was enough. The view, paired with the sensation of Sasha’s body underneath hers, made the whole thing feel like heaven.

Fleeting, temporary heaven.

“I think this is my favorite stop,” Sasha admitted. “I wasn’t expecting it, because you know how much I hate the heat. But there’s something about it.”

Shea hummed in agreement. The whole day had seemed surreal. It was like they had traveled to a place removed from time and history. It just existed with it’s little gimmicks and unending desert. There was no Amsterdam, no home to return to. It was just the two of them.

“I’m going to cherish this summer,” Sasha continued. She had that waver in her voice that she always got when she was emotional. Sasha was such a caring person, she always felt things deeply and sincerely. When it came to being sentimental, she was the queen. Shea was usually her foil. She was the pillar, the one who could swallow her feelings like a bitter pill and put on a smile for the rest of the world. But not today. Over the past few weeks she could feel her pillar chipping and crumbling, ready to collapse into a feeble pile of defeat.

“Me too baby,” she whispered, not trusting her voice. Sasha held her tighter, and Shea felt lips on the crown of her head. That was it, it felt like the beginning of goodbye. Vegas was their last stop, and then they’d be apart for years. Shea could feel her heart sinking, like it was dropping into the center of the bottomless lake. She felt dark, and cold, and wet tears welled in her eyes before she could do anything to stop them.

Shea tried to mask it, casually swiping under her eyes like she was rubbing an itch. But Sasha was too perceptive.

“You make it so hard for me to leave,” Sasha admitted. Her fingers stroked soothingly down Shea’s arm, so Shea reached over with her opposite hand to link their fingers.

“I know you need to go, but it just started to sink in, and there’s so much I want to say but I know it’s too late.”

“It’s not too late,” Sasha argued.

Shea sat up and turned so she was facing Sasha. Sasha’s eyes were shiny with unshed tears, and her frizzy blonde hair was falling out of the bun piled on top of her head. She was so beautiful, so familiar, and Shea just wanted to sink into her, lose herself in those wise eyes forever.

“It is,” Shea insisted. “It doesn’t matter what I say. In five days, you’re going to be on a plane to Amsterdam, and I’m not going to see you for years. By the time you come back, things will have changed, we’ll have changed. There’s no use, Sasha.”

Sasha’s lips pursed, and she reached out to cup Shea’s face.

“But won’t you regret it? Not knowing what would happen?”

Shea’s heart stuttered in her chest. Did Sasha know? Shea had barely discovered her feelings, so caught up in her supposed straightness that she didn’t consider Sasha more than just her platonic soulmate. Shea still wasn’t sure what she was, really, she just knew that she was in love with Sasha.

There was no way Sasha could know that, though. Their friendship worked so well because, for both of them, it was platonic. Shea with her endless string of unsatisfactory boyfriends, and Sasha with her beautiful queer lovers. Shea wasn’t anything like the people Sasha was attracted to. And Shea was supposed to be straight, so Sasha wasn’t anything like the douchebags Shea was attracted to.

But here she was, staring into Sasha’s eyes, and the weight of the truth hung silently and heavily in the air between them.

“How can I love you from thousands of miles away?” Shea whispered. As soon as the truth left her lips, it was like an invisible hand was squeezing her lungs, keeping her from breathing as she waited for a reaction. Sasha still met her gaze, unflinching.

“The same way you love me now,” Sasha assured. “The same way that I’ve loved you. Nothing has to change, Shea. We’ve always been so strong, and I know that a little distance won’t change that.”

And there it was. Of course Sasha loved her too, it should’ve been so obvious. If Shea had been in love all of this time, if that had always been the nature of their relationship, then it should’ve made sense that Sasha felt the same way. Their friendship had always bordered on something more. Now Shea knew what that more was. And Shea wanted to believe Sasha. She wanted to believe that this, _them_ , could continue with an ocean between them. There was a fiery confidence in her eyes that warmed Shea’s heart.

Finally, Shea felt hope.

“I believe you,” Shea promised. Sasha smiled, and Shea’s stomach flipped. There was nothing heavy now, it felt like. Now they were among the stars.

Sasha shifted forward, and with her hand still cupping Shea’s cheek, their lips met. The simple act of kissing Sasha assured Shea that this was right, this was what she wanted. It still felt like a goodbye, but like a new beginning as well.

Sasha was wrong, things were going to be different. But that wasn’t a bad thing. Now, with their lips sliding softly together, things were starting to get better. As fingers slipped into Shea’s hair, she knew she had made the right choice.

She wasn’t losing Sasha. They were entering a new chapter.

“I hope it was clear that I love you too,” Sasha added, pulling back. Shea laughed and pressed their foreheads together.

“Yes, it was clear you dork,” she chuckled.

For the first time that entire trip, Shea felt like things were going to be alright.


End file.
